Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Amaury Pi-González

A’s manager Bob Melvin was awarded the 2018 American League Manager of the Year by the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America), which was a well-deserved award from an A-1 manager and A-1 gentleman. The Oakland Athletics are a very lucky organization to have him as their leader.

Melvin’s A’s won 97 games, that is 22 more games that any other team from 2017 to 2018. This is the third time in his career that Melvin has won it and the second time he has won the award with the A’s in 2012. He beat Alex Cora, whose Red Sox won a team-record 108 games during the regular season, then went on to win the World Series. Cora, also known as “The Pride of Caguas,” finished second. In third place, Tampa Bay Rays’ skipper Kevin Cash, who lost players like Evan Longoria and Jake Odorizzi last season, yet in the toughest division in baseball won 90 games to finish third between the Red Sox and Yankees, which are two of the most resourceful teams anywhere.

Melvin has won it three times: 2007 NL Manager of the Year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2012 AL Manager of the Year with the A’s and 2018 AL Manager of the Year again with the A’s. In the history of the A’s, only Melvin (2012, 2018) and Hall of Fame Manager Tony LaRussa (1988, 1992) have won this award. Melvin’s A’s had the lowest payroll in baseball, yet he continued to motivate and teach his young players to respect, listen to, and play hard for him. Last week, the A’s announced they are bringing back all their coaches and that was also good news for Melvin.

We wish Melvin a great offseason and happy holidays to him and his family and hope to see him in Arizona just a few months.

Congratulations, Melvin!